UCSF responds to outcry from staff, patient families about lack of air conditioning
"I don't think anyone should work in a sauna-like condition unless you're working in a spa," said family member of former patient
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- UCSF is responding to complaints from hospital staff and family of patients at their Parnassus Medical Center in San Francisco over a lack of air conditioning on certain floors.
"I don't think anyone should work in a sauna-like condition unless you're working in a spa." exclaims a woman named Chris who requested we use only her first name. She explained how her late husband underwent a surgical procedure for his cancer at UCSF last fall.
The experience, she says, was uncomfortable for both her spouse and the surgeon.
"He was hot and his eyes were burning from perspiration...the surgeon came out to talk to us, the surgeon was drenched with perspiration his scrubs were completely wet."
RELATED: Nurses at UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus concerned about having no AC
Chris, is just one of many people ABC7 News spoke with who take issue over the lack of air conditioning on several floors at UCSF's Medical Center at Parnassus. No medical professionals wanted to go on camera Tuesday, in fear of retaliation, but echoed the sentiments of nurse Melton Smith, who spoke with ABC7 News Monday night.
"It's 95 to 100 degrees and we're taking care of extremely ill patients. This has been going on for years! They have totally ignored us."
Smith says he and other have complained ad nauseam. As a result, staff received cooling towels,...which gave him a rash.
MORE: UCSF breaks ground on SF Parnassus Heights campus reconstruction
UCSF responded to ABC7's requests for comment by saying:
"We continue to regularly monitor temperatures in our buildings and are bringing staff and patients back to the impacted floors in accordance with Cal/OSHA standards and clinical guidance.
San Francisco has been experiencing unusually high temperatures for our region. Over the last several days, we have taken additional steps to support our patients and staff in addressing the impacts of extreme heat, including relocating patients and providing cooling resources in accordance with Cal/OSHA standards. Outdoor temperatures today are more manageable and are forecast to return to normal. We continue to modernize our facilities and are investing in a new hospital in San Francisco that is designed to withstand the impacts of a more extreme climate to ensure that UCSF continues to be the best place to provide and receive care."
We asked Smith, who is retiring in 2025, about UCSF's response.
"It sounds like a canned answer."
MORE: Bay Area schools with no or limited air conditioning grapple with heat wave
As for Chris, she now says air conditioning will play a role on where she seeks care.
"I don't think I would choose to go and use any of their facilities without checking first."
UCSF's new Parnassus Heights Hospital is currently under construction, presumably with full air conditioning on all 15 stories... and is said to be completed by 2030. For some, it's simply not soon enough.
